Work-spreading attachment for ironing machines



May 16, 1950 -w. BORGQS WORK SPREA DING ATTACHMENT FOR IRONING MACHINES Filed Dec. 24, 1946 INVENTOR. Wdlwm Barge.) B Y ATTORNEYS Patented May 16, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WORK-SPREADING ATTACHMENT FOR IRONING MACHINES 3 Claims.

My invention relates to a new and improved work-spreading attachment for use in ironing machines of the type used in laundries and for other purposes, in order laterally to spread the work-piece, such as a napkin or sheet, into smooth shape for presentation to the ironing rolls.

In such ironing machines, it is now customary laterally to spread the work-pieces, such as napkins or sheets, into flat condition anterior the ironing mechanism, either by hand, or to use endless belts for this purpose, said endless belts being mounted so as to move in diverging paths. If such endless belts are used, they must 'be used to spread a work-piece of respective predetermined width. If the width of the work-piece is changed, it is necessary to adjust the inclination of the endless belts relative to each other.

According to my invention, I eliminate all moving spreading parts, and I replace the same by a simple fixed spreading device, which is provided with diverging ribs which automatically spread the work-piece in a direction lateral to the longitudinal line of feed of the work-piece. The improved device can be used with work-pieces of difierent, widths, such as napkins, sheets, etc.

Other objects and advantages of my invention are stated in the annexed description and drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments thereof.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved device.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1, taken at the left of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l, in a lateral direction which is perpendicular to the line of feed of the work-piece, showing the stationary work-spreading plate and its projecting spreading-teeth or spreading-ribs.

The improved device has the usual lower feed roll 3, which is made of wood or other rigid material, and which has a shaft 3a which is mounted in suitable bearings, and the usual upper feed roll 5, whose cylindrical periphery has the usual cylindrical covering of cotton padding or other resilient or compressible material. These wellknown parts and other well-known parts are shown diagrammatically. The endless feed-belts 2 are parallel to each other, and they have horizontal top and bottom runs. Said endless feedbelts 2 are made of cotton, or othe suitable material. Said endless feed-belts 2 pass around the roll 3 and around a companion rod roll, not shown.

The upper feed roll 5 has a shaft 5a. Figs. 1 and 2 show a bearing 6, which is one of a pair of laterally alined bearings. Said bearing 6 have vertical recesses. The ends of shaft 5a abut the vertical walls of said recesses. Said shafts 5a are spaced slightly above the bottoms of said recesses, so that roll 5 rests upon and is frictionally driven by belts 2.

The weight of roll 5 gives the necessary frictional grip, so that the work-piece I, such as a napkin or towel or sheet, is gripped between roll 5 and belts 2 along a lateral gripping line, and said work-piece is fed longitudinally rearwardly, namely, to the left of roll 5 in Fig. 2, towards the ironing mechanism which is located behind roll 5. This ironing mechanism is not shown. The conventional ironing mechanism consists of an upper ironing roll and a lower ironing roll. Behind the roll 5, the work-piece I is supported on the tops of the respective top, parallel and horizontal runs of the feed belts 2. Said top and parallel and horizontal runs feed the workpiece I between the ironing rolls in the usual manner.

The two bearing members 6 and their associated parts are identical.

Each bearing member 6 is vertical, and it has a lateral and horizontal flange 6a. Each flange 6a is fixed as by a bolt 8 and a nut, to a rigid longitudinal plate 1, which is fixed to the frame of the machine.

At the front of the machine, a plate 9 is associated with each bearing member 6. Each plate 9 is horizontal and it is fixed rigidly to the plate or plates 1, by rivets or other fastening members 9a.

Each plate 9 has a vertical and planar flange In. Each flange 10 has a horizontal slot II.

A plate [4, which may be a skeleton plate in order to reduce its Weight, is fixed to a reinforcing angle-iron l5. Supporting plates l2 are fixed to angle-iron I 5. Each plate I2 has a slot similar to slot H, not shown. A clamping bolt I 2a adjustably connects each plate II] to the proximate associated plate l2. Hence, the plate 14 can be angularly and horizontally adjusted relative to the feed-rolls 5 and 3. The slot of each plate i 2 is parallel to its bottom edge.

Said plate 14 has a peripheral plate-portion 4, which is provided with sets of ribs 4a. These ribs 4a are made preferably of rubber or other resilient material, and they have the normal unstressed shape shown in Fig. 3. Said ribs 411 may be made of wood, metal, or other rigid material.

Each set of ribs 4a occupies what is designated as a lane in the trade. Two such sets or lanes are shown in Fig. 1. These lanes are in continuous lateral succession. The end ribs 4a of adjacent lanes abut each other at the upper tips of 3 said ribs, which are adjacent the line at which the work-piece is gripped and fed.

The ribs 4a are identical, and each rib 4a is of uniform shape and dimensions from tip to tip, save for the abutting ribs marked A and B. These ribs A and B abut each other at the median longitudinal line L of the respective set of ribs, which is parallel to the line of feed. Said ribs marked A and B are identical with the other ribs 4a, save that the anterior tips of said ribs A and B are shaped to abut each other in a vertical plane which is coincident with median line L.

The ribs 4a of each set are arranged in two respective sub-series. The ribs 4a of each subseries are parallel to each other and they are uniformly spaced from each other, save that the spacing between ribs A and B is less than the spacing between the other ribs.

In each set, the ribs of the respective subseries are respectively equally and oppositely inclined to median line L.

As shown in Fig. 3, the lateral cross-section of each rib is a triangle, which has an acute angle at its vertex.

The planar projecting Walls of said triangles are inclined to the vertical plane of median line L. In each triangle, the projecting wall which is proximate to said median line L, makes a greater angle with said vertical plane than the projecting wall which is remote from said median line L.

In Figs. 1-3 the ribs are longitudinally convex.

The operation of the improved device is as follows:-

The front edge-portion of a wet work-piece I is spread out laterally into flat shape by hand, and said front edge-portion is introduced into feeding position between feed roll 5 and the top horizontal and parallel runs of feed-belts 2. The width of each lane is optionally equal to or greater than the width of the work-piece I. The median longitudinal line of the work-piece is preferably coincident with line L of the respective lane.

When the front edge-portion of the wet workpiece I is thus inserted into said feeding position, said wet work-pieces rest upon the edges do of the ribs 4a of the respective lane, and the wet work-piece may sag between said edges 4c. The edges 4e of each sub-series of each lane are parallel to each other, and inclined oppositely to the edges 46 of the other sub-series of the respective lane, relative to the respective longitudinal line L. The weight of the wet workpiece I produces a frictional drag which opposes the feed of the work-piece I relative to the fixed ribs 4a. This drag automatically spreads each wet work-piece I laterally in opposed directions from its central longitudinal line up to the upper ends of edges 46. It is easy manually to spread into flat condition, the front edge-portion of the work-piece I which is originally located between the tops of the edges ie, and the line at which the work is gripped between roll 5 and belts 2.

As each work-piece I passes behind the roll 5, said work-piece is thus spread into flat and smooth shape. upon the tops of the. top. horizontal and parallel runs of the feed-belts 2, which maintain the work-piece I in such flat and smooth shape. It is well-known to. support the under-sides of the top runs of the feed-belts 2 slidably on a suitable smooth, fixed plate, in order to keep said 4 top runs flat and horizontal up to the ironing rolls.

I can use the ribs of each lane with workpieces of different respective widths. Each work-piece is optionally confined to a single lane, but the invention is not limited to this, because the work-piece may occupy two or more lanes.

It is intended in such machines to provide a second pair of bearing-members 6b, which are identical with bearing members 6. The shaft 5a is located in bearing members 6b, and the position of roll 3 is correspondingly adjusted, in operating on long Work-pieces I, such as sheets. This feature is well-known.

While I prefer that the tips of the ribs which are proximate to the gripping line should be higher than the other tips of said ribs, the invention is not limited to this preferred feature.

I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, but numerous changes, omissions and additions can be made without departing from its scope. Thus, the invention includes numerous subcombinations, as well as the complete combination disclosed herein.

since the feed rolls and feed belts form no part of the invention, save as accessory to the rib device, I make no claim to such feed rolls or feed belts.

I claim:

1. A machine comprising a frame, an upper feed roll and a pair of lower feed rolls rotatably mounted on said frame, endless parallel and longitudinal belts supported on and actuated by said lower feed rolls, said feed belts having top runs adjacent said upper feed roll so that a workpiece can be gripped frictionally at a lateral gripping line between said top runs and said upper feed roll to be fed longitudinally, a lane of ribs located anterior said gripping line and fixed to said frame, said ribs having respective edges to support the work-piece anterior said gripping line, the tip of each said edge which is proximate to said gripping line being higher than the other tip of the respective edge, the ribs of said lane comprising two sub-series, the ribs of each subseries being parallel to each other and being inclined oppositely to the ribs of the other subseries relative to the median longitudinal line of said lane, at least one pair of the ribs which are next adjacent said median longitudinal line abutting each other at the tips of said next adjacent ribs which are remote from said gripping line, the ribs which are spaced laterally from said median longitudinal line being spaced laterally from each other, said ribs being triangular in cross-section, the vertex thereof constituting an acute angle, the base of said triangle having one obtuse and one acute angle, the gripping side of the ribs being the obtuse angle side.

2. A work-spreading attachment for use in ironing machines having a frame, comprising a pair of cooperating rollers between which the work passes rotatably mounted on said frame, said attachment comprising a curved plate which is mounted on said frame in front of said rollers for pivotal adjustment on an axis which is parallel to the axes of said rollers and for horizontal adjustment toward and away from said rollers, said curved plate having a plurality of ribs formed thereon, said ribs constituting at least two groups, each having a plurality of parallel ribs, the ribs of the first group diverging from the ribs of the second group in the direction of the rollers, the outer edges of said ribs consti- 7 tuting the gripping and spreading edges thereof,

said edges being shaped in the form of an acute angle in cross-section and constituting the apex of the ribs which themselves are triangular in cross-section, the gripping side of each said triangle being inclined with respect to the curved plate at an acute angle relative thereto, the nongripping, opposite side of the rib being inclined to the curved plate at an obtuse angle with respect thereto.

3. A work-spreading attachment for ironing machines having a frame, comprising a pair of parallel rollers mounted on horizontal axes on said frame, one above the other, said attachment comprising a bracket connected to the frame of said machine, a curved plate mounted on said bracket for pivotal adjustment relative to said rollers and for horizontal adjustment toward and away from said rollers, said curved plate being positioned to receive the Work before the work passes between the rollers, said curved plate being provided with two lanes of ribs, each lane comprising two groups of ribs, the ribs of each group lying in parallel lines and diverging from the ribs of the second group, in the direction of the rollers, each rib being provided with an outer gripping surface and with an inner non-gripping surface, each said rib being triangular in crosssection, the gripping side thereof hearing at an acute angle with respect to the curved plate and the non-gripping side thereof bearing at an 0btuse angle with respect to said curved plate, the apex of said rib constituting an acute angle.

WILLIAM BORGOS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

